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Secretary-General Delivers Speech at CICA, Urges Honest Commitment to Peace and Development

21 May 2014

The Secretary-General remarked "We have come together to advance a fundamental truth in today’s world: mutual trust and confidence building are cornerstones of peace and security." (UN photo)

The Secretary-General delivered a speech at the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), urging peaceful cooperation for long-term solutions to global threats such as inequality, terrorism, and human trafficking in the region.

“Let us heal the region’s rifts and historical wounds through cooperation, not conflict, and through common interests, not unilateral action,” the Secretary-General remarked to assembled state leaders and government represenatives. “This forum represents a vast stretch of the world. But together you are defined by more than geography. You have enormous potential to unite people and ideas.”

He highlighted five major areas of concern in his speech: the crisis in Syria, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, territorial disputes, terrorism and criminal activity, and climate change.

In order to address these issues, the Secretary-General called on participants to build confidence and enhance interaction and communication.

“The culture of dialogue is deeply embedded in Asia,” he stated. “The people of the region are counting on your foresight and wisdom to sit together and resolve all differences through dialogue and in conformity with international law.”

The two-day Conference is themed around increasing dialogue, mutual trust, and collaboration to build a new Asia. Click here for a full transcript of the Secretary-General's speech at CICA.